By: Alisha Lai

The past year has been anything but ordinary. Prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, no one could have ever imagined a world where over four hundred thousand people have died in the United States alone and where millions more face unemployment, homelessness and food insecurities. Even in our own Briarcliff community, life is quite different. Luckily, there is one thing that has stayed consistent: the Briarcliff High School spring musical. This year, the performance will be virtual just like the fall drama. The meetings and rehearsals will be done over WebEx, a video calling platform similar to Microsoft Teams. Depending on the circumstances, there is a chance for in-person rehearsals with masks, social distancing and plenty of room outdoors. Afterall, a musical wouldn’t be a musical without singing! The songs will be recorded then uploaded to an online platform where they will be matched with the dancing and lip syncing. The fall drama did not have any separate audio track recordings besides background music. The director and technical director are planning on building set pieces outdoors with masks and social distancing, but only if the administration deems the activity safe. And finally, what will the musical be? This year’s musical will not be a traditional theatre piece. Instead, the director and cast will be picking different songs and potentially scenes/monologues and dances to create their own unique song cycle, writing text and scenarios to connect the songs into a more traditional theater piece. Performances are tentatively scheduled for April 16-18, but stay tuned for a confirmed date. Just like the fall drama, audience members must purchase tickets for every person watching in order to gain access to a password protected link to enjoy the show.